A holiday in Nepal is an exhilarating adventure on the roof of the world. With eight of the world’s ten highest mountains, Nepal is a spectacular country of unsurpassed landscapes and some of the most challenging and rewarding hiking trails on the planet. A remote land of breathtaking scenery and warm, gentle people, Nepal’s charm lies in its spiritual religious mysticism and multiple ethnicity.
It’s hard to top Nepal for adventure travel and eco-tourism. It’s a Mecca for trekkers with hundreds of trails criss-crossing the country, especially in the Middle Hills area. Hikers can choose from a multitude of escorted or self-guided treks and, unless hiking to Everest base camp, can generally get by without specialised mountaineering gear. A sturdy pair of boots and a few layers of clothing are all you’ll need to hit the high trails. You can also get your feet wet with white-water rafting, mountaineering, mountain-biking and even jungle safaris on elephant back in the subtropical lowland forests. National parks throughout Nepal provide opportunities to encounter tigers, snow leopards, brown bears and dozens of other thrilling species.
Hinduism and Buddhism are fundamentals of the Nepalese and have a profound influence on all aspects of life; mixing tradition and faith with a festival culture. This spirituality gives rise to more than a fair share of fascinating temples to explore, and a calendar of festivals and celebrations the envy of many other nations. Spiritual art is everywhere to be seen and religious buildings are rich repositories of ancient artefacts.
City living isn’t a great part of the Nepalese way of life. The capital, Kathmandu, is Nepal’s largest and most cosmopolitan, but a relatively small city compared to most national capitals. Curiously, as tourist-central, it’s home to casinos, pubs and clubs sitting incongruously beside ancient temples and stupas. Dating back to beyond 600BC, the lowland city of Lumbini is regarded as Buddha’s birthplace and has one of Nepal’s ten UNESCO world heritage listings. For adventure and spectacular views, try a visit to Pokhara, known as the City of Lakes.
Nepal fun facts
The Himalayas formed 70 million years ago following a collision between India and Asia via the Indo Australian and Eurasian plates
Of the fifteen highest mountain peaks in the World, nine are within the Nepal Himalayas
The flag of Nepal is the only national flag which is not rectangular
India Initial Insights
Sunday 15th December 2002
Travel Counsellor: Kerrie Croft
What a diverse country and one that is best explored either longer term or over several visits to different regions. I have spent around five months travelling north to south, east to west, so have a good idea of what it has to offer.
It has something for all tastes from the hippy shores of Goa, to the spiritual ghats of Varanasi on the holy Ganges River; from the poverty sprawl of Albanian born Mother Theresa’s hometown of Calcutta to the majestic architecture of the Taj Mahal in Agra; from the camel treks in the expansive deserts of Rajasthan to the old colonial style luxury houseboats in Srinagar, Kashmir; from the protected sacred cows freely wandering the streets to the tigers, Indian elephants and plenty more wildlife in virtually unknown National Parks; from the street barbers and dentists to the crowded public trains, there is such a range of sensations that I have described India as my number one favourite country as a whole.
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